{"id":3794,"date":"2025-04-25T08:38:31","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=3794"},"modified":"2025-04-25T08:38:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:38:34","slug":"even-more-on-the-economics-of-live-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2025\/04\/even-more-on-the-economics-of-live-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Even more on the economics of live theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"430\" height=\"322\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-4.png 430w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-4-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Freakonomics series on the economics of live theatre continues with this <a href=\"https:\/\/freakonomics.com\/podcast\/will-3-summers-of-lincoln-make-it-to-broadway\/\">third and final episode<\/a>, in which I talk about its value &#8211; no, not economic value: all the other kinds&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-freakonomics wp-block-embed-freakonomics\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"9QJJ2y98j0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/freakonomics.com\/podcast\/will-3-summers-of-lincoln-make-it-to-broadway\/\">Will 3 Summers of Lincoln Make it to Broadway?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Will 3 Summers of Lincoln Make it to Broadway?&#8221; &#8212; Freakonomics\" src=\"https:\/\/freakonomics.com\/podcast\/will-3-summers-of-lincoln-make-it-to-broadway\/embed\/#?secret=Vbff4LUIzO#?secret=9QJJ2y98j0\" data-secret=\"9QJJ2y98j0\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Freakonomics series on the economics of live theatre continues with this third and final episode, in which I talk about its value &#8211; no, not economic value: all the other kinds&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3794","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-issues","8":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-Zc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3779,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2025\/04\/on-the-hidden-economics-of-live-theatre\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":0},"title":"On the hidden economics of live theatre","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"April 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Freakonomics Radio has a new three part series on the economic landscape facing live theatre. Part One is here, and part two is here, which as a supporting act in an episode with Lin-Manuel Miranda, has me trying to coherently explain cost disease in the theatre, where it comes from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2791,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/06\/book-diary-june-7-new-working-paper-on-the-economics-of-arts-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":1},"title":"Book Diary &#8211; June 7 &#8211; New Working Paper on the Economics of Arts Funding &#8211; Updated June 9 with a good question","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"June 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Still a work in progress, but a draft essay summarizing the economic approach to public funding for the arts is available here for (free) download. Public goods and externalities, there's no disputing tastes, or maybe there is, nudges, merit goods, Leonard Bast, The Children of Men, contingent valuation, and an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2738,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/05\/book-diary-may-9-how-did-i-get-here-some-biography-econ-101ism\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":2},"title":"Book Diary &#8211; May 9 &#8211; How did I get here? Some biography, Econ 101ism&#8230;","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I am writing a book about The Moral Foundations of Public Funding for the Arts. My first diary entries are here and here. How did I come to be writing on this topic? Let's go way back... In high school I was one of the band room kids: French horn\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"just a singer in a rock and roll band","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elygra-rotated.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1516,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/09\/wellbeing-and-how-to-fund-the-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":3},"title":"Wellbeing and how to fund the arts","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"September 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Via The Stage, what arts funding should have priority? The (UK) All-Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics has released a report recommending that changes in the wellbeing of individuals ought to be the central concern of policy, beyond calculations of narrower economic measures such as are at the core of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aye, that's wellbeing!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/jimmy-shand.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/jimmy-shand.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/jimmy-shand.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1873,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2015\/03\/dynamic-pricing-and-market-segmentation-at-the-theatre-and-the-hospital\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":4},"title":"Dynamic pricing and market segmentation at the theatre (and the hospital)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is about theatre pricing, from a unlikely source. Today's New York Times has a piece by Austin Frakt on hospital pricing, and whether and how changes in funding of patients through public sector programs might change hospital charges to privately insured patients. Mid-way through, the article looks for\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2015\/03\/dynamic-pricing-and-market-segmentation-at-the-theatre-and-the-hospital\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"how much for a bed with a view?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/old-hospital.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1110,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/03\/economics-of-deaccessioning-a-bit-theoretical\/","url_meta":{"origin":3794,"position":5},"title":"Economics of deaccessioning (a bit theoretical) (updated)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Why is it so wrong that a museum would sell works from its collection? More specifically, why is it wrong to sell works where the proceeds from the sale would not be committed to the purchase of other works for the collection? I know of the policies of the Association\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"sounds tempting","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Herbert_James_Draper_Ulysses_and_the_Sirens.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Herbert_James_Draper_Ulysses_and_the_Sirens.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Herbert_James_Draper_Ulysses_and_the_Sirens.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Herbert_James_Draper_Ulysses_and_the_Sirens.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3794"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3798,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794\/revisions\/3798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}